With the arrival of Peak Oil, the curtain has closed on Act 1 of the drama Petroleum Man. What will happen in Act 2? Chekhov said, "If there's a gun on the wall at the beginning of the play, by the end it must go off." In the world's nuclear arsenal are many guns on the wall. If life copies art, will there be an Act 3 in which the players, having learned their lesson the hard way, live sustainably? To explore these and other questions... FTW's Act 2 Blog. Read, comment, take heart! Orkin

Tuesday, March 09, 2010

REVOLUTION -- A Dire Warning

March 9, 2010 -- There is a revolution brewing in this country. Some are already attempting to define it... perhaps as a means of shaping it. Perhaps as a means of preventing a no-sided melee which no one can win. -- Mark my words and mark them well. A left-right labelling of this revolution will mark the failing of our species and condemn millions of Americans to death and suffering. Labels kill us, especially orthodoxies and labels from the old paradigm. This must be a revolution by all the people who get it as opposed to people who don't. -- If it isn't, then the bad guys will win again as they always have when it's been framed as a left-right issue and they controlled both sides. The left has failed us as badly as the right. Just the use of the words "left" and "right" closes off a myriad of possible life-saving options. Conservatives and liberals starve and die in exactly the same way. They go homeless the same way. They bleed the same way. The Powers That Be would much rather have us fighting each other rather than them.

In the Civil Rights and Vietnam era, declassified documents and court cases showed that the ONE thing the FBI was more afraid of than anything else was an alliance between blacks and whites: where civil rights met the Vietnam war. As soon as Matrin Luther King started speaking against the war he was marked for death. -- Now, the one thing The Powers That Be are afraid of is any alliance between so-called left and so-called right. That's the only alliance; the only coalition that can possibly save lives and stand up against what's coming. So any time I see crap like "from the left" or "from the right", I shudder. Left and right are meaningless terms to me because I live outside the paradigm -- at least in my head.

Anybody who fights the infinite growth economic paradigm is my brother and my sister. Ron Paul is fighting it. Cynthia McKinney is fighting it. And I, for one, am not going to chop either one of them off -- and hurt all of us -- in the process... because of a freaking label. These are two of the bravest and most honorable people I have ever met. -- I am reminded of something attributed to Albert Einstein; "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits."

Collapsenet will be a voice for and a place where those from either the left or right can come in safety. It will welcome Libertarians, Socialists, Anarchists, Secessionists, Democrats and Republicans. It will embrace all colors and all religions. The only thing we will require is an understanding and agreement that we want to save our own lives, and as many of our fellows' lives as we possibly can.The labels left and right are as doomed as the old paradigm. When the dust settles there will be no conservatives or liberals; only survivors. And in whatever ways we oppose it, our only enemy will always be ONLY the infinite growth monetary paradigm. Our vision will not be distracted. Combat vets understand that the political beliefs or color of the man watching your back, handing you water or ammunition; or carrying you to safety means nothing. He is your brother. All of us at Collapsenet pledge this to you. We want to carry as many of you to some measure of safety as possible because all those labels everyone is so fond of don't mean shit anymore. If you filter your thoughts that way and don't know how to stop it, the bear's going to get you.

There are two labels, however, that will survive. They are "honorable" and "effective".

30 comments:

When you set up collapse net, make it that it doesn't rely on one person. It would be a pity if a tool like this came down once you Michael disappeared (think ftw). I'm just saying you might have a big X on your back. Bigger than ever maybe?

All of us can have a part in the solution if we choose to. Those who have a tendency to look to the past (the conservative) can help to bring with us that which is time-tested and will help us to weather this storm and succeed in the new paradigm. Those who are forward-looking and embrace a changing future (the liberal) can help the rest of us adapt and identify snags before we hit them. All of the many strengths we have as humans will be needed to get through this, as they always have. We all must realize that no one way of thinking could ever survive on its own.

I was born in 1980 and in my childhood, the collective consciousness of my culture foresaw a future utopia for the human species, give or take a few disasters that could be overcome. I think that collective dream is over, and people are very frightened and rightly so. The rug has been pulled out from under our feet, so to speak. Denial is slowly fading, and due to efforts of people like you (you have helped me so much in being able to understand how to look at the workings of the world), I think that at least people are starting to realize that despite all the promises, the old feel-good abandon is not coming back. You are helping to turn on the lights in the proverbial sports arena and open the door, letting people step outside and realize that the real world is out there, not in "here," bickering over any of the trivialities of the boxing match of the day.

Thank you for your effort. It is so valuable and it seems truly to be your calling. I smile every time I see you write one more article or make one more public appearance after saying you are stepping away from the public eye for good. You are such a natural at this, and all of us who want to know and want to make a difference are so lucky for whatever combination of circumstance and hard work gave you the resources to learn as much as you have and to share it with as many as you've touched in the way that you have.

Mike I can hear the pledge to bring and herd a diverse group of civilization. This is the Big Sort.

http://www.booksamillion.com/product/9780547237725

Should we just head to Portland? Ralph Watson of Global Eco Village

http://www.globalecovillage.com/Ralph.htm

He has a few American towns he would like to migrate us to.

I cant move to the South, those people are putting all there eggs into nuclear. What a chaotic place Cynthia McKinney has in store. I do know this, I am ready to land some place. When is the expedition? I mean I could go move to a place outside of Portland like this...

BUT! how about a Power Park Algae plant on the coast of the Baha. $25 million dollars , 5 grand a person at 5000 people. Thats a way cheaper plan than me alone at 400K. Where are the enlightened ones? Think of the Community Kitchen we could build? Spas, and more Spas.

This post reminds me of a dialogue in one of my favourite books, when two friends got into an unexpected situation, stumbling upon a stranger during a flight from captivity:— …What you are going to do with us, and which side you are on?— I am not going to do anything with you: not if you mean by that “do something to you” without your leave. We might do some things together. I don't know about sides. I go my own way; but your way may go along with mine for a while…

Quote from the article Mike linked to: "Calling All Rebels" by Chris Hedges:

"Why should we resist at all? Why not give in to cynicism and despair? Why not carve out as comfortable a niche as possible within the embrace of the corporate state and spend our lives attempting to satiate our private needs?"

Excuse me, but that pretty much describes everyone I know, and have ever known (except possibly my mom)! Nobody wants to hear any talk about resistance! Nobody wants to take on the powers that be! Everybody just wants to sit and twiddle their little joysticks!

You're never going to "Move The People"... The people are 10,000 pound couch potatoes! Maybe you guys know some big important "people" with some very expensive neckties... Most of us don't; nor would we be willing to trust any of them if we did!

This is why I laugh at your plans for a "New Paradigm". Every New Thing eventually becomes The Same Old Shit. If you don't get what I'm saying, just ask yourself: "how is America today, any different than the England it rebelled against 200+ years ago?" Did we not also begin with a new paradigm?

You talk about "the bad guys". Those are likely to be your own grandchildren. Personally, I pity the fuckers for the world they're going to have to live in (that's assuming there still is a world 50 years from now).

I also think Ron Paul is very brave. Especially when you consider the fact that if the Federal Reserve did not print money with reckless abandon then we'd be stuck with the alternative... which is Greece. Can you imagine the US spending the last 30 years living within its means? Would the world really be better off? No. The US would simply decline. The globalist/CFR/PNAC people would move somewhere else and establish a new hegemony and a new reserve currency. We would play second fiddle, at best. Just because we accepted more austerity.

Knowing this, a very important question is raised. How much sense does it make to support people like Ron Paul, knowing that this crazy dumbed down mass of propagandized and brainwashed people is going to literally come after Ron Paul with pitchforks if/when this whole ponzi empire implodes precisely at the moment he is elected? That is surely one way we get Kunstler's "corn-pone" nazi movement.

ChuckP said... Do you have any idea of the "time frame" of the collapse???? Are we talking 10 or more years??? Anyone???

From 1999 until we and everyone we know is dead.

This collapse will continue until civilization stabilizes sometime after the petroleum age is over. And that may take hundreds of years.

Our descendants and the Earth's ecosystems will be adjusting to a new equilibrium for some time after we lose our ability to coat it with massive quantities of chemicals and non-degradable garbage.

This isn't a situation where we collapse for a decade or so, then go back to chasing infinite growth. Unless aliens from the planet Vulcan arrive to save us from ourselves.

Absent a new miracle energy source, we're just going to stair step our way down through a seemingly endless series of large and small crashes. Each plateau will likely give the illusion of normalcy and provide hope that we're on the road to recovery.

At least this is my take on it, based what I know of ecosystems, energy and my ability to solve high school level math problems.

While I'd like to believe that everyone can come together, I think it's just a dream that could maybe happen sometime...a long time down the road. There's so much anger building right now that I think that those people bonding together with both anger and guns will force their way on many others...at least at the local levels...under the guise of patriotism.

I agree with Mike that a revolution is what we need. A violent one is not necessary in my view. But if the public at large could stand up and speak with one voice and demand that the criminal behavior stop and demand a rational system, we could get change that most of the public wouldn't want, but needs.

I agree though that we are 10,000lb couch potatoes and it won't happen so long as the televisions work.

As to becoming like Greece, and wishing to avoid that fate, I think we're putting off a crash. and the longer we prolong it, the worse it will be.

Except that we're still crashing. We're still losing jobs at an alarming rate.

What we are getting out of our denial is the ability to bulldoze mountains of swag into the pockets of fat cats on Wall Street. That's what we are fighting to maintain.

So long as Wall Street Welfare Queens continue to get free handouts from the taxpayer, we can pretend that we're in better shape than Greece.

So long as the financial industry grows through the power of free money produced from virtual money presses and the government can publish fake statistics, we can pretend that we're not Greece.

It's a bit like watching gangrene creep up your arm. You can pretend it's not happening for a time, and do nothing about it. And not die all at once.

The condition nudges up against political necessity....not what we would like to do (that lovely, liberal dream world), but what we must do. Clarity of vision now becomes the primary asset. Right motives, right thoughts, right action, right consequences.

The greater mass of the globalist ice berg lies beneath the surface, as a rule, not visible from the living room couch.

Weaseldog, re "I agree with Mike that a revolution is what we need. A violent one is not necessary in my view."

Agreed, the first revolution begins between the ears. Where, how and when it shakes down in the physical world neither you, I, Michael Ruppert, nor anyone else in here has any control over. It is necessary to pre-empt the condition, to be prepared for it politically when it erupts.

Re "But if the public at large could stand up and speak with one voice and demand that the criminal behavior stop and demand a rational system, we could get change that most of the public wouldn't want, but needs."

This is nonsense. Grow up. The "public" is an ignorant mob. It always has been, is this instant, and always will be. The mob has never, never made a revolution...it has only followed along. It is the historically prepared cadre that always makes revolution, i.e. superimposes its will onto the condition...and the opportunity.

If you wish to entertain fantasies of democracy, especially in a Post-Peak Oil world, be my guest. If you wish to be a player, then that will likely require some spiritual toughening up.

Jesse Ventura has been making the talk show circuit hyping his new book American Conspiracies. As he says, these are not "theories" but facts that align like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle to reveal a bigger picture.

He has been "allowed" to explore these ideas on cable TV.

From what I have heard, Jesse could be the one to overcome the media blackout on several fronts. He is not afraid!

Now somebody fill me in on how he is a shill for the NWO or some such. After all, he is working with Alex Jones.

For me it is a breath of fresh air just to hear someone speak the truth on national television.

I'm all for revolution, the revolution of our thinking. Just like Mike writes and talks about...

shoot what I'm going to say down the crapper, I'm personally convinced that a major revolution in human thinking is possible with

1. Grassroots local community/government revolutionary changes2. information technology that helps us understand what resources we have and what we can do

I was shocked to see how awesome the Transition Town folks are at working with local governments, all you have to do is show some proposals, show how you can reduce the budget and you got yourself revolutionary ideas... I see stuff like this all the time like community gardens

yes, the internet is at risk. The US manages 2 Name servers, and there is alot of redundancy, but there is no plan for energy decent, and we need one. Alot of revolutionary thinking and ideas will be enabled if we have internet and cloud computing so we need to fight to make sure its safe even when all hell breaks loose.

I know a brilliant computer scientist who created a system that projects forestation into the future, its systems like these that can help communities and local governments to make the right decisions.

this is just my opinion, and I know it sounds like its in the old paradigm, but I have faith in what information technology like social networking, resource projection, and information sharing can do... because I believe in the human spirit... and the local governments.

the only revolution that's going to work is a big change in our thinking, I'm building tools like mad... and I have an internet/technology free plan B.

You have not been here long enough, have no Idea about life, Past/future.Read "The Lies My Teacher Told Me", Our "Fathers" were all Europeans, with that mind set, they just moved the Power from There to Here!The "Boston Tea Party" (reflected Today), was more than tea, it went overboard, but what about the other Hundreds of thousands worth of "Cargo" which found a new home?Talk about Pirates, think the ships were "unguarded", think the only thing "Unfairly" Taxed was Tea?

After the Natives helped us defeat the English, why was the"Compassionate" Washington's first Budget 50% for "Controlling"Indians"?

"Those are likely to be your own grandchildren. Personally, I pity the fuckers"

We have no control over the "Future", our Grandchildren, The Sheeple,or as you name them "10,000 # couch potatoes"; MY intent (along with the otherOptimists here), is to Survive, allowing an option, a different future than those with unlimited funds/power/control would force upon us- the open minded,FREE thinkers!

You & others have stated their objections to this site & the posters here.My request from all you Critics is; What is your best shot as to what is ahead?What are you doing to insure the future YOU desire/wish for Yourself, & those You love, those you just rub elbows with, and those you dislike!What in your wisdom should we be doing?Instead of knocking us down, please give us a Hand up.Amae

Collapse is happening right now if front of our eyes. As for the comment, that things never change. That really is not true at all. Evolution happened (some form of it - no matter what anyone believes). Evidence: No dinasaurs or cro-magnon man. As for knowing what to do - the reality is - can't live the future in the present so you have to just do your best. Live in the present, hope for the best, expect the worst and know this - you cannot "plan" for a lot. But you can be "prepared" for the unknown. For example, I live in a nasty hurricane zone and every time a big one hits - you leave your home and belongings that you cannot carry with you and realize you have no idea what is going to happen. After total destruction comes, you start working in unity with others to figure out how to live. Some people are jerks but some people have a brain. Usually more brains than jerks when you have live power lines on the road; no roof; no water; no electricity; no phone; etc. It just eventually comes to together for solutions - but where I live - no govt. has ever been there to help. I thank god for my Cuban brothers and sisters who are used to living with nothing and we all worked together and shared what we had and got through it (with no electricity etc.). I just don't think people realize that our general media and govt. is not going to tell you that Collapse is happening now. Power structures crumbling don't like to admit it when it is happening and are usually the last to admit it when it does happen. This is bigger than one hurricane though...much bigger. I can tell you that I spent last year teaching myself how to sew better; learning how the plumbing actually works in a house; and getting to know lots and lots of people who know a lot about surviving with nothing. You know a little and combine it with the whole and you will know a lot.

We don't have to just save humans. We need to live in such a way that sustains the whole ecosystem. Without diversity and respect for the rest of the creatures that have a place in the whole scheme of things, we are playing the endgame.

Another point you often mention is that to hedge your bets against inflation you should buy gold. Well most mining extraction the way it is done now is killing more people and ecosystems. Tons of arsenic and water are used in the extraction process of gold.

An important thing to remember is that religious and political fanatics tend to have zero ability to honestly look at themselves in the mirror. That's really the last sort of thing we will be needing in the up and coming future.

"Elmo, You have not been here long enough, have no Idea about life, Past/future."

Really? Have we met? Do you know how old I am, or what education I possess? How is it you can safely assume that I am blissfully unaware of world history?

"What in your wisdom should we be doing?Instead of knocking us down, please give us a Hand up."

The conclusion I have arrived at from reading this site, is that most of you here want to preserve as much as you can of your existing way of life (paradigm). You hope to keep all of your technical knowledge; your political structures; your infrastructure; etc... and resurrect it all, based on some new monetary/green-energy system that you call: "the new paradigm".

You talk abouta new way of life, but your every proposal is just more of the same industrial bullshit that crawled up out of Babylon some 10,000 years ago --only this time, it's 'solar-powered'! And that is exactly why I will not give you a hand-up! UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES will I help you resurrect civilization all over again!

But, in an effort to be somehow helpful, I will say this... You should all be aware that, if you do happen to survive (doubtful) what seems to be our inevitable future, you're going to have your asses thoroughly kicked! And, I'm certainly not the first to say it... Philosophers, Theologists, Musicians, Playwrights, Scientists, even the occasional Politician; you name it... have all been trying to warn us about the results of our actions for thousands of years; and our response has always been the same: "Well, when you can show us some proper ID, maybe we'll listen to you!" That's a great way to justify ignoring wisdom, don't you think?

David Bates;There is no reliable global inventory for oil. Nobody really knows how much is left in Russia, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, etc. "Twilight in the Desert" by Matt Simmons discusses this in detail reguarding Saudi. The best guestimate is that we've used about a trillion barrels and have about a trillion left. Sounds good, right? Those remaining trillion include mostly high-sulfur, tar sands and shale. You may have heard of people saying "there's more oil in Colorado than in the mid-east". That's technically correct, but it's in the form of shale. You need mega-watts of electricity to boil the oil from the shale after it is strip-mined. Same for the tarsands in Canada. The cheap oil is gone. So the correct answer to your question is approximately 0.